Hood for motor-buses and other vehicles.



, H. ADLER.

HOOD FORNIDTOR BUSSES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION meu 0c1.19. 191,4.

L M6545, 121116111611 July 13, 1915.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET l,

Figi.

1111115111011 fav i #Wy/e H. ADLER.

HOD FOR MOTOR BUSSES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPucATloN msu 01:1. 19, 1914.

1 146,745. Pafemed July 13, 1915,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

flu

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ADLER, or MELVILLE, JOHANNESBURG, souTH AFRICA.

l vHOOD Fon MOTOR-BUSES Application filed October 19,

T0 all rw/i om it' muy concern Be it known that I, HARRY ADLER, asubject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing .it 32Second avenue, Melville, Johannesburg, `South Africa, have inventedcertain new .and useful Improvements in -Hoods for Motor-Buses and otherVehicles, of which the following is a specifi ca tion.

This invention relates to improvements in hoods or coverings formotor-buses, motorcars or other vehicles and has for its object todevise means which may be readily and rapidly manipulated for thepurpose ofprotecting the upper'parts of such vehicles or the passengersupon the same when required whilethe devices according to my inventionare such that they may'be'readily collapsed or folded or hidden away soas not to render the vehicle unsightly in appearance or difficult -tolhandle when the hood or covering is not required in operation. l

Further advantages obtained 'by my invention are that the variousparts"are made l. readily adjustable so that th; height of the roof orcovering upon av motor pus, for example, may be readily varied ifrequired for passing beneath bridges, arches, or other. like structures,while the effective area of the covering mav also be adjusted to suitany condition of. ventilation that may be-v reduired.

rlhe invention consists primarily in a eollapsible hood-like cover formotor-buses, inotor-fars and other vehicles comprising independentlymovable side portions and a roof portion also movable independently ofthe side portions.

The invention also consists in a collapsible hood-like covering lformotor-buses and other vehicles comprising side` rails rariving movableblinds` windowspr the like and one end of which supports`a`fiexibleroofing member, movable independently of the side. members. ,i

Fui-ther features of the invention and advantages derived therefrom willbe readily appreeiatwl from the following de-` seripioll.

"he areompanyingdrawings illustrate lwo modes of earlving out theinvention.

Figure l is a side elevaon showing one convenient construction irLvccordance with Specification of LettersPatent.

AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Patented July 13, 1915.

1914. seria1No.s67,522.

l the invention when applying the same, for example, to amotor-bus.

Fig. 2 .is afrontV elevation ofthe. n'iotor-bus shown in Fig. lA

partly in section. and on an enlarged scale of the front portion of theimprovement.

' In carrying my invention into effect inl t one convenient manner whenapplying the .same Ato motor-buses or other4 like vehicles intended forpassenger tratiic and as illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3', I provideupon each side of the inotor-bus or the like a movable frrmeworkpo'rstructure which may be slidtbiymounted in guides fixed to the f. ameworkor sides of the vehicle and which may be moved relatively thereto byyany suitable means or mechanism. In one convenient-.construction eachframe or the like may comprise guides fl. formed with or having securedthereto suitab le racks d adapted to beengaged hv pimons c carried upona sha`ft` (l i'iionnteu upon-somel fixed portion of v thevghicle andadaptedto be driven by any suitable means .controllirht by the driver orconductor of the vehicle, 'such means either taking the form of ahand-wheel with'intermediate bevel gears f and (1, ois. other gearing,or the sainefmaybe oper`ated by power derived from the prime mover ofthe vehicle, the arrangement heilig such that upon rotation of the shaftd in one direction or the other the raek members b upon the frameworkare caused vto slide up or down in suitable guides I1. mounted upon theside of the vehicle.

The upper rail z' or like member of each.

side frame carries upon itsexte'ior face a iblindor series of blinds orother suitable devices to form the side coverings. such de.- viees inthe construction shown taking the form of a blind .7.: running thevwhole length of the vehicle. the lower end of which is attaehed b vsuitable eords I to a shaft m. or otherwise held fixed iny any suitable'manner when the framework is raised so that the blind is therebv:.iiltomatieally drawn down from the spring rallier n. upon which' it iswound while upon releasing the holding means for the lower epd' ofthe-blind 'the same is automatically wound upon its'roller thus be leftopen.

The blind rollers n are mounted in grooves o (Fig. 2) upon the outersides of the rails or like membersz' in the usual manner adopted withsuch devices by means of brackets arranged at the ends of said rails,and to secure any degreeof opening of lthe side blinds I arrange for theshaft m to be rotatable by means of the hand-wheel p or other likemember controllable by the conductor or by the driver.

To make the upper protecting device thoroughly waterproof I provide thesame'with a roof f] which is preferably formed from some flexiblematerial or in the manner of a roller shutter or blind so that the roofmay be carried upon a drum or roller 1' supported by the side frames as,for example, by means of brackets s either at the front or rear endthereof.

When applying the invention to passenger vehicles I prefer to arrangethe sides and roof of the structure so that they may be operable bymeans of the one operating device suoli as e and with such anarrangement it is necessary that means be provided to insure that theroof shall'not be drawn across into position until after the `sideframes have been moved to a certain height so that the process of movingthe roof into position will not in any Way interfere with the comfort ofthe passengers or with the gear for operating the sides. According toone method of attaining this object the free end of the roof isconnected either directly or by means of a suitable intervening link orlike connecting member t to 'each of two nuts u arranged upon themovable framework .on each side of the vehicle', each nut being adaptedto engage with alpreferably quick pitch screw o running the whole lengthof the vehicle and mounted within a, groove upon the inner side of theside rail similar to the groove o above referred to.

The shafts o are adapted to be rotated by. suitable gearing connectedwith the gearing operating the movable frames or by gearing operated bythe movement of the frames, the arrangement being such that uponrotation of the screwed shafts the nuts u are drawn along thereon andwith them that end of the roof to which they are attached so that theroof is in this manner unwound from the work 'a rack w (Fig. 2) adaptedto engage drum or cylinder r upon which it is carried,

.and as above explained it is preferredto provide means to insure thatthe roof shall not be moved until the side frames have reached aconvenient height;

In the example illustrated in the drawings I secure to the yfront of themovable frameaspur vheelI mounted upon. a shaft e arranged 1n fixedbearings ca'rr'iegl bv the ve- ,hicleand having at its athen/'trend abevel'.

wheel 1 adapted to engage a second bevel wheel '2 mounted upon a shaft3, the motion of which is transmitted to the shaft 6 through the clutch7, and thence to the.l

screwed spindles vc through the intervention of suitable bevel gears 4and 5. vThe clutch that the outer end of the pivoted lever 8 isdepressed vand the clutch members forced into engagement with oneanother whereupon Athe roof is drawn rapidly into position owing tothequiek pitched thread upon the screwed spindle w, and for the purposeof adjusting the point at which the roof is drawn i'nto position thefixed bracket or the -like 11 carrying the stop 10, may be provided withapertures or notches, or may be otherwise suitably formed to allow ofthe adjustment of the stop 10, in relation thereto. The whole of thegear Yabove described may, if desiled, be inclosed bya suitable 'casingor the like, 12, as shown 1n Fig. 4.

The roof g may rbe formed from interlocking laths or like members ofwood, metal, or other suitable material preferably formed w-ith suitabletongues and grooves and which may have overhung portions so that theoverhanging portion of one member may rest upon the correspondinghorizontal portion of the next member when the whole are arranged inposition, and cork, rubber, or other suitable material may be interposedbetween the members for the purpose of forming the weather-tight jointit being so y,

also desirable to form the roof whether made from rigid members or fromflexible material slightly rounded transversely so as to obviate therisk of any water collecting thereon and when laths or like members areemployed these may be formed upon their upper surface with camberedgrooves or recesses running the whole length of each'lath. The rigidmembers ma ybe mounted uponsteel tapes, canvas web ing or other suitable'flexible material and, if y desired, the under-side of the roof may 'bearranged to bear advertising matter or any other matter which it may bedesirable to display within the interior of the vehicle.

For the purpose of facilitating the working ofthe roof some or all ofthe members forming the same may be provided with rollers or likeanti-friction' devices adapted 'to engage slots, 13 in the uppersurfacevof the side rails i and suitable steel springs or other guides may befitted at that end of the rail adjacent the roof for the purposeof-guiding the latter into the slots 13, while the rails themselves-"may, if desired, be provided with holes at suitable intervals s0 thatany rubbish or refuse collecting in the slots 1? may be swept'thegefromand out through the apertures refefrred to during the movement of theroof.

Having now described my invention what I claim as ne and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:--

l. A collapsible hood or like covering for moto and other vehiclescomprising a movable framework upon each side of the vehicle, anindependeiitly movable roof member and means for moving the roof memberinto position automatically at a certain point in the movement of theside frameworks.

A collapsible hood or like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising movable side rails carrying movable side coverings,

an independently movable roof member and I means for moving the roofmember into position 'automatically at a predetermined point in themovement of the side rails.

3. A collapsible hood or like covering for motor and other vehiclescomprising movable side rails carrying movable side coverings,

an independently movable roof member,

means for moving the roof member into position automatically at apredetermined point in the movement of the side rails and means forvarying the point at which the roof member is adapted to be moved intoposition automatically.

A collapsible hood or the like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising movable side rails carrying movable side coverings, means formoving the roof vmember into position automatically at a certain pointin the movement of the side portions, and means for varying the point atwhich the roofing member is adapted to be moved into positionautomatically.

A collapsible hood or the like covering for motor or othervehiclescoinprising a `movable framework upon each side of the vehicle,means for raising and lowering the framework, side blinds carried byeach framework having their lower ends secured in an adjustable manner,a flexible roofing carried upon a drum supported by said frameworks andmeans for moving said rooting into position.

6. A collapsible hood or the like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising a movable framework upon each side of the vehicle, means forraising and lowering the framework, side blinds carried by eachframework having their lower ends secured in an adjustable manner, aiiexible, roofing 'carried upon a drum supported by said frameworks, andmeans for automatically moving the roof into position when the sideframes have been raised to a certain height.

. 7. A collapsible hood or the like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising a movable framework upon each side.of the vehicle, means forraising and lowering the framework, side blinds carried b V- eachframework having their lower ends secured in an adjustable manner, aflexible roofing.y

carried upon a drum supported. by said frameworks, and screw-threadedrotatable shafts adapted to engage nuts secured to theI flexibleroofing. .l

S. A collapsible lood or the like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising a movable frainework upon each side of the 9. A collapsiblehood or the like covering j for motor or other vehicles comprisingy a,

movable framework upon each side ofthe vehicle', means for raising andloweringfthe franework, l.side blinds carried by each framework havingtheir lower ends secured in an adjustable nianner, a flexible roofingcarried upon a drum supported by' said frameworks, means for moving saidroofing into position when the side frames haveI been moved to a certainheight, and means for varying the point at which said roofing is adaptedto be moved into position.

10. A collapsible hood or like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising movable side rails, guides for said rails. racks carried bysaid guides, pinions to raise or lower said racks, means to operate saidpinions, a flexible roofing member, a drum mounted at one end of said:ide rails for receiving said roof member. and gearing adapted tooperate said flexible roof member at a predetermined point in theinoveiment of said side rails.

ll. A collapsible hood or like covering for niotor or other vehiclescomprising movable side rails, means for raising or lowering said siderails. a flexible, roofing comprising rigid members mounted uponsuitable fiexible materiah'a drum on which-said flexible roofing iswound and gearing adapted to operate said flexible roofing at apredetermined point in the movement of the side rails.

l2. A collapsible hood or the like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising a movable framework upon each side of the vehicle, means forraising and lowering the framework, side blinds' carried by eachframework having their lower ends secured in an adjustable. man-ner, aflexibleroong carried upon a drum supported 'byl said frameworks.screw-threaded rotatable shafts adapted to engage nuts secured to theflexilowering said side portions, a flexible roofingy portion, a drummounted at one end of said side members, said drum being adapted toreceive the flexible roofing member, means for operating said roofingmember, and antifriction members upon the roofing member adapted toengage guides formed in they side frames.

14. A collapsible hood or.; the like' covering for motor. or othervehicles comprising movable side portions, sideblinds attached thereto,means for raising or lowering said side portion, independent? means forraising or lowering said blinds, @a flexible rooting, a drum mounted atone4 end of said side members, said drum being adapted toreceive aflexible rooiing member, means for operating said roofing" andanti-friction members upon the roofing adapted to engage guides formedin the side frames.

l5. A -collapsible hood or the like covering for motor or other vehiclescomprising movable s ide portions, means for raising or lowering saidside portions, means for .rais-l ing or lowering said blindsautomatically as the side portions are lowered or raised, a flexibleroofing member, a drum mounted at one end of said side members, saiddrum being adapted to receive the flexible roofing member, means foroperating said roofing, and anti-friction members upon the roofingadapted to engage guides formed in the sideV frames.

In testimony whereof I'have signed my name to thisspecification in thepresence of ,two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY ADLER.

Witnesses: I

' WILLIAM JAMES MADDEN,

HARRY SYDNEY HENsoN.

